POODLE ORIGINS
Poodle-type dogs were depicted in Ancient Egyptian and Roman art hundreds of years before the Common Era. In the Middle Ages, a Poodle-type dog came to Europe with the Goths and Ostrogoths (via what is now Russia), who used it for herding their livestock. It was in 1400, however, that Poodles became a recognized breed in Germany, used for retrieving waterfowl. They were called pudelhund (“dog that splashes about”). Poodles are often still used as hunting companions for waterfowl sport hunting, retrieving ducks and geese from lakes and other waterways.
In France, Poodles were called caniche, from the French word for female duck. The larger Poodles were used in France for waterfowl retrieval. The French then created the size varieties we currently enjoy, with the Standard Poodle remaining the working dogs and the smaller varieties becoming circus performers, farmers’ helpers, truffle hunters, and, in royal courts, lap dogs. In fact, Toy Poodles were favorites of the Louis IV to Louis XVI regimes.
Over the centuries, Poodles were mixed with water spaniels, terriers, and other breeds to enhance their capabilities for specific jobs. For example, the truffle-hunting Poodle was mixed with terriers to make them more tenacious in their hunt. And they were further specialized into what are now purebred dogs, such as Portuguese Water Dogs (the ultimate water dog and retriever), Curly-Coated Retrievers, and many more. Whenever a breed was created to aid in the hunt, from ducks to truffles, Poodles were often the foundation parent.
Poodles were not only great hunting companions, but also great performers. With their high intelligence and ease of training, as well as agility, they quickly became a favorite of traveling circuses and royal performers throughout Europe. Few other dog breeds had a penchant for doing flips, walking on their hind legs, jumping through hoops, or jumping from tall platforms like the Poodle. As their popularity grew, the smaller Poodle varieties were favored more than the Standard, because they were easier to care for and transport.
In 1874, Poodles entered England, where they were recognized as a breed, with specific standards, within the Kennel Club of England. In 1887, The American Kennel Club recognized Poodles as a breed, using the English standards as a cornerstone of its own requirements. Even though recognized as a breed, however, Poodles were not highly popular until they caught the fancy of wealthy families.
When the Poodle Club of America was formed and Poodles were viewed in both conformation and performance competitions, they gained in popularity. In fact, Poodles have been one of the most frequent Best in Show winners at Westminster and Crufts since 1907.
Poodles don’t just win at dog shows. They also continue to work as guide dogs, guard dogs, and wagon pullers. During World War I and World War II, they were used in the field to help soldiers move supplies, carry communications, and sniff out land mines. Due to their fast-growing coats, however, they didn’t make the cut for continued use. (It’s tough to find a Poodle groomer in a war zone.)
After World War II, Poodles became status symbols, with wealthy families flouting well-groomed pets. In the 1960s, the breed became the most popular dog breed in the United States, and it continues to be one of the top ten most popular American Kennel Club breeds.
Big, Small, Poodles Have It All
As I mention earlier, three Poodle varieties are recognized by the AKC. They were originally created for specific jobs:
Standard: To retrieve downed waterfowl from waterways
Miniature: To flush and retrieve ground birds such as quail in the uplands
Toy: To flush birds and other small game from thick underbrush
Each variety is delineated by size, but they all have similar structural characteristics:
A square build, with equally proportioned legs to body, with the length of body from the breastbone to the point of the rump equal to the height from the highest point of the shoulders to the ground.
Dark, oval eyes with an intelligent expression.
Ears that fold over near the head and are set at, or slightly below, eye level.
A naturally curly and dense coat all over the body.
A huge variety of coat colors. Black, blue, gray, silver, cream, and white have black noses, eye rims, and lips, and black toenails. Apricot-colored Poodles tend to have liver-colored noses, eye rims, and lips, and sometimes amber eyes. Parti-colored Poodles can be either black and white or liver and white, with the liver and white Poodles having the lighter colored skin areas. There’s also a color combination called phantom Poodles, with coloring similar to a Doberman Pinscher or Rottweiler; they have a predominantly black (sometimes brown) body with a lighter color (usually tan) appearing on their “eyebrows,” muzzle, throat, legs, feet, and below their tails.
Poodle Personalities
Poodles are highly intelligent, energetic, and athletic. They were created for long hours of hard work and need a job in order to remain manageable. Although they’re generally social, they can be aloof when first meeting people or other dogs but are quick to warm up and initiate play.
Standard Poodles are great with children of all ages and love to get out in the yard and chase toys. And, despite their appearance as froufrou dogs, they’ll get down and dirty with digging and rolling around. Standard Poodles love to run, and joining a teenager rolling down the sidewalk on a skateboard is at the top of their to-do list. They don’t do well in noisy households, however, and if there tends to be a lot of commotion, they need a place to get away from it all that’s quiet. Special care needs to be taken with young babies, and appropriate introductions will lead to a respectful relationship.
The Miniature Poodle and Toy Poodle varieties can do well in most households that are not overly noisy or permissive. They may be small dogs, but they still need to be addressed as dogs and treated as equals, not as the kings or queens of the home. Due to their high intelligence, if they live a permissive lifestyle, they can easily become snarky and demanding.
Common Health Concerns
Although Poodles are one of the healthier breeds of dogs overall, they do have some common health concerns. One is the penchant for ear infections. Ear infections can happen to any dog with a fold-over ear and dog hair within that traps dirt and wax, creating the perfect environment for infections to develop. Keeping the ears free of hair and dirt will easily prevent this from happening.
Other health issues, such as Addison’s disease, epilepsy, gastric dilation (a twisting of the stomach, sometimes referred to as bloat), tracheal collapse, and thyroid issues, can occur as well. Professional breeders generally choose sires (fathers) and dams (mothers) to prevent these issues from plaguing their puppies. But that doesn’t mean that they won’t occur to one or more pups within the same litter, because the genes are still present.
Poodles also tend to be sensitive to environmental allergens, which can result in ear and skin infections, as well as lick granulomas (irritated spots also known as hot spots) on their feet.
